1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heel cups, pads, heel cushions and the like and, more particularly to a heel cup capable of therapeutic acupressure and massage to the heel of the user when placed in an article of footwear.
2. Background of the Invention
There are many types of heel cups, pads, heel pads and heel cushions. In commercial use for the treatment of various types of heel pain, such cups, pads or cushions are worn in the heel of a shoe or other footwear and act to absorb shock during ambulation. As such, most are used for the treatment of various types of heel pain. As shock absorbing devices, they function to raise the heel slightly. Typically such cups, pads and cushions cushion and support the back of the foot to compensate for different leg lengths, to damp shocks in walking and running and to absorb the maximum impact and shock loads.
The Applicant was introduced to acupressure as a technique for treating heel pain by Professor Chen Bao-Xing, China's leading orthopedic surgeon. Chinese physicians routinely use a T-shaped instrument approximating 11/2 inches in diameter. In use, the physician grasps the cross bar of the T and firmly presses the bottom end of the instrument into selected portions of a patients heel. The combination of pressure and massage effectively reduces the congestion of the soft tissue which produces soft tissue decompression to reduce inflammation and edema thereby reducing pain and promoting healing.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to produce an acupressure heel cup to provide therapeutic treatment via pressure and massage along with impact shock absorption for the treatment of heel pain, preferably formed by injection molding of a soft resilient, generally non-compressible elastomer plastic or rubber and having a sole portion, underlying and supporting the bottom surface of the heel of the user which permits localized deformation of a plurality of downwardly directed projections spaced from each other and integral with the heel cup sole to apply pressure at localized spaced points over the sole bottom surface during weight bearing.